By NATARIO McKENZIE

Tribune Business Reporter

nmckenzie@tribunemedia.net

Abaco’s Chamber of Commerce chief yesterday slammed the lack of effective police and local government response to boat thefts and home break-ins as a “grave concern”.

Daphne DeGregory-Miaoulis, its newly elected president, told the National Conclave of Chambers of Commerce that a Hope Town developer had been victimised by crime so often that he was downsizing his initial plans

She warned: “If we are not careful he might close up completely.

“Second home residents and the fishing industry have been significantly impacted by boat thefts and home invasions. It’s a small community, everyone knows when tourists arrive, especially if they are renting.

“This is very difficult. The lack of effective and adequate police and local government response is really of grave concern. We have, in particular, a developer who has been hit so often on Hope Town that he is now downsizing what his initial plan was to build and, if we are not careful, he may close up completely,” Mrs DeGregory-Miaoulis said.

“This will impact employment and is a very serious concern. There is one policeman there and he is basically ineffective.”

Mrs DeGregory-Miaoulis said the Abaco Chamber intends to reach out to more businesses and get them under its umbrella.

“It’s really difficult to be effective and impact all of our communities, and so what we are hoping to do is reach out and include businesses in all these areas, and identify a Chamber representative in each community to act as a conduit or facilitator of information to us and from us,” she said.

“We are also trying to include local government. We should be actually working for the same goals and, by including them, you have less resistance when you want to get something and when they are trying to get something. The objective is not who is getting the credit but getting the job done with positive results for everyone.”